At least two Plaid - bloggers have made the claim that Dafydd Wigley is the first person to be elected to the House of Lords, because he won a ballot of party members in order to earn his seat.
Actually my friend and minister the Rev Lord Roberts of Llandudno was elected to a list of prospective Lib Dem Lords by party members some 8 or so years ago.
I don't know if the Liberals still elect Lords, but there is no doubt that Roger was the first Lord chosen in this way.
However congratulations to Dafydd, Jenny and Eluned on their elevation – I hope they do Wales proud as Noble Lords; but where is the Welsh Tory Lord?
As far as I recall Syr Wyn in 1997 was the last member of the Welsh Conservative Party to be given the right to park his rump on the red benches.
Showing posts with label Dafydd Wigley. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dafydd Wigley. Show all posts
20/11/2010
16/01/2008
Another New Blog
Another New Blog for the New Year is one maintained by the Bontnewydd branch of Plaid Cymru.
Amongst those posting to the blog is the soon to be ennobled Dafydd Wigley.
Amongst those posting to the blog is the soon to be ennobled Dafydd Wigley.
27/12/2007
Representation for all
After last May's election there was some disquiet in the ranks of Plaid Cymru about the party's gender balance policy of ensuring that a woman has number one spot in every list election. The main complaint was that the list preference system enabled Janet Ryder to be elected rather than Dafydd Wigley. A secondary complaint was that after Wales' allocation of MEP's was reduced by one (the "loser" being Plaid's Eurig Wyn) that Plaid has an electoral mountain to climb before it elects a second MEP. Unless Plaid gains a huge increase in votes, its voice in Europe will be female in perpetuity.
As a result of this disquiet Plaid's last party conference agreed to review its gender balance policies. In yesterday's Western Mail Dafydd Wigley suggested that the review should look at ways of enabling balance for other under-represented groups, not just women. Given his long-standing interest in disablement equality Dafydd suggested that the lists might be used to enable people who live with a disability to get elected to the Assembly.
Like Peter Black AM, I don’t think that "using the lists" is the best way of ensuring that people who live with a disability gain a voice in the Assembly. Unlike Mr Black, I don't think that Mr Wigley's comments should be rubbished and dismissed out of hand. Dafydd Wigley raises an important topic for debate. Whether one agrees or disagree with his conclusions, I think that Wigley should be congratulated for raising the issue.
This post is already longer than I intended it to be. So I shall split it and return to the subject in further posts over the next few days.
As a result of this disquiet Plaid's last party conference agreed to review its gender balance policies. In yesterday's Western Mail Dafydd Wigley suggested that the review should look at ways of enabling balance for other under-represented groups, not just women. Given his long-standing interest in disablement equality Dafydd suggested that the lists might be used to enable people who live with a disability to get elected to the Assembly.
Like Peter Black AM, I don’t think that "using the lists" is the best way of ensuring that people who live with a disability gain a voice in the Assembly. Unlike Mr Black, I don't think that Mr Wigley's comments should be rubbished and dismissed out of hand. Dafydd Wigley raises an important topic for debate. Whether one agrees or disagree with his conclusions, I think that Wigley should be congratulated for raising the issue.
This post is already longer than I intended it to be. So I shall split it and return to the subject in further posts over the next few days.
12/05/2007
The Wigley and Ryder Nonsense
The amount of crap that has been written on blogs, in magazines and in newspapers over the last few days about Dafydd Wigley and Janet Ryder is incredible. That much of it has come from people who claim to support Plaid is unforgivable. These stories and the nonsensical comments that support them do nothing but hand feed those who wish to harm Plaid Cymru and the national movement. They create division where none exist and create unneeded bad feeling amongst supporters of the national cause
If Dafydd Wigley, as an individual, or Plaid Cymru as an organisation wanted to ensure the re-election of Wigley to the current Assembly there were better ways of doing so than standing him on the North Wales Regional list.
Owen John Thomas had made known his intention of retiring from his seat on the South Wales Central list, there was nothing stopping Wigley from trying for this vacant slot. Janet Davies had also indicated her intention of retiring; if Plaid wished to make an exception to its women first rule to facilitate Wigley's return, South West Wales was clearly the best region in which to make such an exception. If Wigley had wanted to stand for the Aberconwy constituency he would have won the nomination and Gareth Jones would have been happy to stand aside to facilitate his nomination. A bigger gamble, but not as much of a gamble as 2nd place on the northern list would have been for Wigley to stand as candidate in Clwyd West.
Ensuring Wigley's election wasn't part of the plan when it was decided to put him in 2nd place on the North Wales list. Following the disastrous election results of 2003 and 2005, there was a genuine worry amongst Plaid's leaders that Ieuan Wyn might lose his Ynys Môn constituency. If this had happened bitter internal wrangling over the leadership question would have weakened an electorally weakened Plaid group further. If, however, Wigley had been elected as a consolation for a losing Anglesey, then that bitter wrangling would be avoided, because Wigley would become the natural leader, and the Plaid group would be able to start building for the future.
Of course if Wigley had gone for one of the safer alternatives of getting elected, he would still have been in the Bay to step in if a disaster had hit the party on the Island, but this path was purposely and conscientiously avoided by the party and by Wigley himself, for a good reason. If Wigley and Ieuan Wyn had both been elected the new Assembly would have began with a divisive leadership debate. If Wigley had been elected the muck that is now being aimed at Janet Ryder would have been aimed instead at IWJ and Plaid would have found itself in the same mire as the Lib Dems now find themselves.
Plaid had a plan when it put Wigley on the north Wales list, a plan that has worked, so far, are disgruntled party members about to derail that plan by vilifying Janet Ryder?
CYMRAEG Hen Rech Flin: Nonsens Wigley a Ryder
Links:
Western Mail - Blog Vaughan - Blamerbell - Labour Mark - Sanddef - Peter Black AM - Cymru Mark - Brit Nat Watch
If Dafydd Wigley, as an individual, or Plaid Cymru as an organisation wanted to ensure the re-election of Wigley to the current Assembly there were better ways of doing so than standing him on the North Wales Regional list.
Owen John Thomas had made known his intention of retiring from his seat on the South Wales Central list, there was nothing stopping Wigley from trying for this vacant slot. Janet Davies had also indicated her intention of retiring; if Plaid wished to make an exception to its women first rule to facilitate Wigley's return, South West Wales was clearly the best region in which to make such an exception. If Wigley had wanted to stand for the Aberconwy constituency he would have won the nomination and Gareth Jones would have been happy to stand aside to facilitate his nomination. A bigger gamble, but not as much of a gamble as 2nd place on the northern list would have been for Wigley to stand as candidate in Clwyd West.
Ensuring Wigley's election wasn't part of the plan when it was decided to put him in 2nd place on the North Wales list. Following the disastrous election results of 2003 and 2005, there was a genuine worry amongst Plaid's leaders that Ieuan Wyn might lose his Ynys Môn constituency. If this had happened bitter internal wrangling over the leadership question would have weakened an electorally weakened Plaid group further. If, however, Wigley had been elected as a consolation for a losing Anglesey, then that bitter wrangling would be avoided, because Wigley would become the natural leader, and the Plaid group would be able to start building for the future.
Of course if Wigley had gone for one of the safer alternatives of getting elected, he would still have been in the Bay to step in if a disaster had hit the party on the Island, but this path was purposely and conscientiously avoided by the party and by Wigley himself, for a good reason. If Wigley and Ieuan Wyn had both been elected the new Assembly would have began with a divisive leadership debate. If Wigley had been elected the muck that is now being aimed at Janet Ryder would have been aimed instead at IWJ and Plaid would have found itself in the same mire as the Lib Dems now find themselves.
Plaid had a plan when it put Wigley on the north Wales list, a plan that has worked, so far, are disgruntled party members about to derail that plan by vilifying Janet Ryder?
CYMRAEG Hen Rech Flin: Nonsens Wigley a Ryder
Links:
Western Mail - Blog Vaughan - Blamerbell - Labour Mark - Sanddef - Peter Black AM - Cymru Mark - Brit Nat Watch
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